• Game Notes

The Youngstown State women's basketball team will close non-conference play while simultaneously opening the 2013 calendar year when it plays at VCU on Friday at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on 570 WKBN and iHeartRadio from the Verizon Wireless Arena in Richmond, Va.

If the Penguins can win their first-ever contest played in Virginia, they will match their win total from the entire 2011-12 campaign. YSU enters the game against VCU with a 9-3 record, which is its best start since going 16-1 to start the 1997-98 campaign. The Penguins also had their second-most wins by New Years Day in their 38 seasons.

YSU got its ninth win and improved to 5-0 at home by beating Bucknell 69-51 on Saturday behind 20 points from senior Brandi Brown and a team shooting percentage of .473. The Penguins made their first five field-goal attempts against the Bison and trailed for led for all but 22 seconds in the contest. Junior Karen Flagg scored 10 of her career-high 12 points in the first four minutes, and freshman Shar'Rae Davis added 15 points. Bucknell became the ninth opponent in 12 games to be held to fewer than 60 points by YSU's much-improved defense in 2012-13.

Brown ranks in the top 25 nationally in both scoring and rebounding with 19.8 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, and Davis is second in the country among freshmen with 4.8 assists per game. Davis also averages 10.6 points, and Heidi Schlegel averages 10.9 points and 4.7 rebounds off the bench.

VCU has a 7-7 record following an 82-47 victory over Maine on Tuesday. Junior Robyn Parks averages 18 points and 7.9 rebounds, and Jessica Pellechio is sixth in the country with 3.46 3-pointers per game.

The Penguins will begin Horizon League play at Valparaiso on Jan. 12 at 2:35 p.m. Eastern.

Game Recap vs. Bucknell

Brandi Brown finished with a game-high 20 points, and YSU led for all but 22 seconds in a 69-51 win over Bucknell on Saturday.

Karen Flagg added a career-high 12 points to go along with six rebounds and five assists. Shar'Rae Davis had 15 points and four assists.

The Penguins made their first five field goal attempts and led 14-3 just over three minutes into the game. YSU then had just two field goals over the next 10 minutes as Bucknell built a 20-19 lead.

Heidi Schlegel had a three-point play 22 seconds later, and the Penguins led the rest of the way.

• Bucknell went more than 10 minutes without a field goal from the 3:01 mark of the first half to the 12:35 mark of the second. YSU outscored the Bison 15-6 over that span.
• YSU led by double digits for all but 12 seconds in the second half.
• Flagg scored 10 of her career-high 12 points in the first 3:03 of the game. She made her first four attempts and finished 5-for-7.
• YSU shot 51.9 percent in the second half, going 14-for-27 in the period. That included a 12-for-18 effort inside the arc.
• The Penguins outscored the Bison 20-5 off turnovers and 38-18 in the paint.
• Monica Touvelle sank the 100th 3-pointer of her career at the 14:29 mark of the second half. It gave the Guins a 42-30 lead, and they led by double digits the rest of the game.
• Davis made two 3-pointers. She is 5-of-8 from distance in the last two games, a drastic improvement from 6-for-27 start over the first 10 games.
• YSU had at least three players score in double figures for the ninth time this season. The Penguins are 8-1 in such contests.
• YSU finished with more assists than turnovers for the third time in four games.

Scouting VCU

VCU is 7-7 following an 82-47 victory over Maine on New Years Day. The Rams got 24 points and 11 rebounds from Robyn Parks in the win, and the junior is averaging 18 points and 7.9 rebounds. Jessica Pellechio is averaging 12.8 points and has made 45 3-pointers in 13 games. Six other Rams are averaging between 4.2 and 6.1 points per game. Both of VCU's last two games were decided by more than 30 points, including an 88-50 loss at Ohio State, and the Rams have not played a game decided by single digits since the second contest of the season on Nov. 14, 2012. The Rams were 19-15 last season and advanced to the Round of 16 in the WNIT. Marlene Stollings is in her first season as head coach.

Series With VCU

This is the first meeting between Youngstown State and VCU in women's basketball.

All-Time vs. the Atlantic 10

Youngstown State is 19-30 all-time against teams currently in the Atlantic 10. The Penguins are 5-19 against recent Horizon League member Butler and 14-11 against all other teams.

All-Time in Virginia

The Penguins have never played a game in the Commonwealth of Virginia. In fact, YSU has played only two contests against teams from Virginia. The Penguins beat Virginia Tech 92-81 in Youngstown on Jan. 12, 1992. They lost to James Madison 79-62 at Florida Atlantic on Nov. 27, 2004.

Upcoming Milestones

• Brandi Brown is 44 points from moving into third place on YSU's career scoring list.
• Brandi Brown needs 75 rebounds to move into second place on the career list.
• Brandi Brown is both 11 free throw attempts and makes from setting new school records.
• Liz Hornberger is 19 3-pointers away from 100. Melissa Thompson is five points from 200 for her carer.

9-3: Best Start in 15 Years

• Youngstown State has nine wins in its first 12 games for the first time since the 1997-98 season.
• In 12 games, YSU has already matched or surpassed the win totals from seven of its previous 10 seasons.
• The nine wins by New Years Day are the second-most in YSU's 38 seasons.
• The Penguins have won their first five home games for the first time since the 1999-2000 season.

Looking to Match Home Success on the Road

• YSU is averaging 76.6 points and beating opponents by an average margin of 21.4 points in its first five home games. In seven road games, the Penguins are averaging 60.7 points, 15.9 points fewer than at Beeghly Center, and have been outscored 426-425. That's weighted heavily by a 33-point loss at No. 25/22 West Virginia.
• YSU is 5-0 at home for the first time since 1999-2000. It is 4-3 away from Beeghly Center this season after going 6-11 on the road last season. The Penguins were 1-45 combined on the road from 2008-09 through 2010-11.
• YSU started the season by playing seven of its first 10 games on the road. The Guins won their first three road contests for the first time since 1997-98, but they've lost three of their last four.
• Five of YSU's top six scoring games of the season have come at Beeghly Center.

Brown's Place in YSU History

• Senior forward Brandi Brown eclipsed two more important marks for her career resume in the game against Akron on Dec. 20.
• Brown moved past Ann Marie Martin (1994-98) for fourth place on YSU's career scoring list. In 102 games, Brown currently has 1,654 points, 43 behind Danielle Carson for third. Wanda Grant is second with 1,829 points, and Dorothy Bowers is first with 2,324. Brown would need to average roughly 19.3 points the rest of the season to reach 2,000.
• Brown also grabbed her 1,000th career rebound against the Zips. She became the third player in both YSU and Horizon League history to surpass 1,600 points and 1,000 rebounds.
• Assuming at least a 30-game season, Brown needs to average about 9.4 rebounds the rest of the season to break Wanda Grant's school record of 1,178 rebounds. Dorothy Bowers is second on the list with 1,083, 74 ahead of Brown's current total of 1,009.
• Brown is 11 free throw attempts and makes away from setting new school records. She could also reasonably set new records for starts (needs 11) and minutes (needs 570).

Touvelle Surpasses 100 Career 3-Pointers

• Junior guard Monica Touvelle became the 12th player in school history to make 100 3-pointers with a triple at the 14:29 mark of the second half against Bucknell.
• The graduate of nearby Boardman High had 53 3-pointers last season, one shy of YSU's sophomore record held by Dianne Rappach.
• Touvelle is 101-for-277 in her career from 3-point range for a .365 shooting percentage. That is eighth-best in school history among players who made at least 30.
• Touvelle shot a Horizon League-best 42.4 percent from 3-point range during conference play last season.

Among D-I Leaders in 3's Per Game

• Through games completed on Dec. 30, Youngstown State ranked tied-for-fourth in Division I with 8.8 3-pointers per game. The Penguins are tied with fellow Horizon League member Milwaukee and trail Boston (8.9), Creighton (9.0) and Missouri (9.8).
• The Guins ranked fifth in Division I last year with 9.2 3-pointers per game and set school and Horizon League records for 3-pointers made in a season last year with 275.
• In fact, YSU has re-set the school record for 3-pointers made and attempted in Coach Bob Boldon's first two seasons.
• The Penguins have made at least eight 3-pointers 30 times in the last 42 games dating back to the start of last season.

A Much-Improved Defense

• YSU has held opponents to an average of 58.5 points per game this season. That is a 9-point improvement from last season
• The Penguins haven't allowed fewer than 64 points per game since 1990-91, and they haven't allowed fewer than 60 points on average since 1979-80.
• Last season, the Guins ranked second-to-last in the Horizon League scoring defense (67.5 points per game). This season, they are second in the HL in scoring defense.
• Eight of the Penguins' first nine opponents scored fewer than 60 points. For the year, YSU has held nine teams under 60 points.
• The Penguins have held four straight opponents under 60 points twice this season. Prior to this season, they hadn't done it once since the 1990-91 season.

An Impressive Turnover Margin

• The Penguins rank third in the Horizon League with a plus-4.3 turnover margin. That is tied for the fifth-best margin in school history, and it's the best 1999-2000.
• YSU has outscored opponents off turnovers 10 times in the first 12 games and are 8-2 in such contests. The Guins are outscoring opponents off turnovers by an average of 9.5 points per game.
• The Penguins rank second in the Horizon League with 19.8 turnovers forced per game.
• YSU is committing 15.5 turnovers per game, which ranks fourth in the HL. If it holds up, that will also be a school record for fewest turnovers per game over a season. The record is currently 16.0 in 2010-11.
• YSU's average is influenced greatly by an uncharacteristic 37-turnover game at IUPUI on Dec. 3. The Penguins have not committed more than 19 in any other game, and they are averaging 13.5 turnovers in the other 11 contests.
• In the five games since that 37-turnover blemish on Dec. 3, YSU has averaged 12 turnovers per game.
• The 29 turnovers that YSU forced against Bryant were the most by an opponent since Niagara had 30 on Nov. 13, 2007.

Academic Success

• The YSU women's basketball team posted a team grade-point average of 3.52 during the fall semester, which was the highest of any team on campus.
• Four Penguins – Brandi Brown, Liz Hornberger, Taylor Hvisdak and Kelsea Newman – registered a 4.0 GPA.
• YSU ranked sixth on the WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll during the 2011-12 academic year with a 3.550 GPA. The Guins were 17th in 2010-11 with a 3.395 GPA.

Balance in the Scoring Column

• Through the first 12 games, YSU has three players averaging double figures and six players averaging at least six points.
• Brandi Brown ranks fourth in the Horizon League and in the top 25 nationally with 19.8 points per contest. Heidi Schlegel is second with 10.9 points per game, which is 18th in the conference and first among non-starters. Shar'Rae Davis averages 10.6 points, which ranks 19th in the league and is third among conference newcomers.
• YSU has had at least two players in double figures in each game this season, and it has an 8-1 record when at least three Penguins reach double figures.
• Eight of the 11 active players on YSU's roster have scored in double figures at one point this season.

Making Half-Time Adjustments

• Youngstown State is outscoring its opponents 458-364 after halftime this season, an average of 7.8 points per game.
• The Penguins have outscored their opponent by at least 15 in the second half five times.
• YSU has been outscored in the second half four times this season and has lost three of those contests.
• YSU is averaging 29.2 points on 37.3 percent shooting in the first half and 38.2 points on 42.2 percent shooting in the second half.
• The biggest difference between the scoring in the two halves is at the free-throw line. The Penguins are 126-for-165 at the stripe in the second half and 32-for-47 in the first half.

Getting Better on the Boards

• YSU was last in the Horizon League in rebounding margin last year at minus-5.1. This year, YSU is minus-0.7 on the glass.
• More impressively, it is a significant improvement from two seasons ago when YSU was edged by 9.0 rebounds per game.
• YSU's biggest win on the glass this season came on Dec. 3 when it out-rebounded IUPUI 47-22. That plus-25 edge was YSU's best since 2006.
• YSU has won the battle of the boards four times in the first 12 games. The Penguins out-rebounded six opponents last year, just three in 2010-11 and six in 2009-10.

Davis Impressing Early at PG

• Freshman Shar'Rae Davis has had a strong start to her career. In her first 12 games, she's averaged 10.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.9 steals. She's posted highs of 23 points, nine rebounds, 10 assists and five steals.
• Davis has posted 10 assists in two different games this season, becoming the first freshman to post at least 10 assists twice in a season since Lauren Branson in 2004-05.
• Davis ranks second in the Horizon League in assists per game, and only Lianna Doty of Missouri averages more assists among freshmen nationally.
• In addition to ranking second in the circuit in assists, Davis is fourth in the Horizon League in assist-to-turnover ratio, sixth in free-throw percentage, sixth in steals, 15th in field-goal percentage and 19th in scoring.
• Davis is on pace to be among YSU's top five freshmen all-time in points, assists, steals and free throws.

B.B.'s Double-Doubles

• YSU senior Brandi Brown has posted a Horizon League leading eight double-doubles in 12 games this season. That ranks as fifth-most in the country.
• Brown has 44 double-doubles in 102 career games. She had 14 as a freshman, 13 as a sophomore and nine as a junior.
• She began this season with five straight double-doubles, which was the best streak of her career.
• Since 1982, Dorothy Bowers is the only Penguin with more career double-doubles with 58 from 1984-88.

Hornberger Helper

• Junior Liz Hornberger enjoyed the best stretch of her career during the start of this season.
• Over the first eight games, she averaged 10.5 points and was the Horizon League's leader in 3-pointers per game. She scored in double figures five times in the first eight games this season after scoring 10+ three times in the first 59 games of her career.
• Despite being held to 11 points over her last three games since sitting out the game against Wilmington on Dec. 9 with a sore back, Hornberger is still averaging career highs of 8.6 points and 2.0 assists.

Flagg's an All-Around Performer

• Karen Flagg is averaging 7.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists while starting all 12 games in her first season.
• She's posted highs of 12 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and two blocks this season.
• Over the last two games, she's posted 12 assists and just one turnover while making 8-of-14 from the field.

Schlegel Key Off the Bench

• Heidi Schlegel is averaging 10.9 points and 4.7 rebounds off the bench in her nine games this season.
• Players eligible to be named the Horizon League's Sixth Player of the Year must come off the bench for 67% of her games played. Schlegel is outscoring the closest eligible player by 4.5 points per game, and she is also the leader in minutes. Schlegel ranks second in the group in rebounds per game.
• Schlegel scored in double figures in each of her first four games, which was the longest streak of her career. She's scored between 11 and 15 points in six of her nine games.
• Schlegel averaged 9.7 points and 4.6 rebounds last year in 27 games, 17 of which she started.

Up Next: Horizon League Play

• YSU opens its 12th season of Horizon League play at Valparaiso on Jan. 12.
• The Penguins are 3-8 all-time in Horizon League openers, and they are 0-5 when starting league play on the road.